Fans of American Horror Story were treated to the show’s latest twist when they tuned in for Wednesday’s episode, the episode that co-creator Ryan Murphy had promised would be the episode where the season’s big twist would be revealed. Angela Bassett, who portrays Monet Tumusiime, the actress who played Lee in the reenactment, talked to The Hollywood Reporter about the latest twist that was revealed in the sixth episode of the season, which she also directed, making her the first female director of American Horror Story.
Bassett said her first reaction to getting the script was “oh my god,” which was also the reactions that many viewers had to the episode when it aired.
As a way to prepare to direct the episode, Bassett said she “spent time watching horror movies” as a way to get the craft down.
Bassett said that the wedding scene between Audrey (Sarah Paulson) and Rory (Evan Peters) was, in a way, inspired by her own wedding to Courtney B. Vance and didn’t think some of the shots they had of the wedding would make it into the episode, like when Paulson was twirling around in her wedding dress.
She also praised Kathy Bate’s acting in this episode and said directing her “was divine” because of her versatility as an actress.
Bassett also said it was hard to play double duty as director of the episode and appearing as an actress in the episode because she wasn’t able to see the scene while she was acting and just had to trust that everything would be able to work out in the end. She also said the episode was harder to film because they shot the episode around the time of the Emmys.
And, in keeping with the theme of secrecy that’s shrouding this season, Bassett said she wasn’t allowed to talk about the episode to anyone, which she called “a breath of fresh air.”
She also previewed the rest of the season, saying that’s many more twists coming in the next four episodes before the season ends.
As for if she’ll do any directing in the future, Bassett said anything else will “probably be a walk in the park” but she would definitely consider doing more directing in the future.
The episode scored a 1.4 in the cable ratings and was the highest rated scripted cable show of the night, according to TV by the Numbers. Part of the reason the number may be lower than some of the other episodes of the season could be because of the baseball playoffs and the third presidential debate.
American Horror Story: Roanoke airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. The show has already been renewed for its seventh season.